Naming wifi network after IS backfires on French teen

Image
AFP Lyon
Last Updated : Nov 05 2016 | 1:57 AM IST
A French court has handed a three-month suspended jail sentence to a teenager who named his domestic wifi network after the Islamic State group, his lawyer said today.
"There was no sympathy for terrorism! There was only the word 'Daesh21'," explained lawyer Karima Manhouli, saying he would appeal his client's criminal conviction.
Daesh is a widely-used Arabic acronym for IS.
"It was a stupid act by a young man of 18 who can't explain why he did it," he said.
The case came to court in the eastern town of Dijon after a neighbour saw the name pop up on a list of available wifi networks in July and called the police.
"There was an investigation and searches but nothing was found. There is nothing to suggest (my client) shares this ideology. On the contrary, he strenuously denies it," Manhouli said.
The court handed the youth a suspended jail sentence after he turned down an offer of 100 hours of community service.
The lawyer said there had been a spate of similar criminal charges since January 2015 when authorities were instructed to quickly prosecute suspected cases of sympathy for terrorism.
On November 13, France will mark the first anniversary of coordinated jihadist attacks in Paris that left 130 people dead.

Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content

*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Nov 05 2016 | 1:57 AM IST

Next Story